V:EKN Official Toreador Newsletter July 2007 This might be followed by a repost as my USENET News provider hasn't managed to distribute my first posting in 24 hours. Introduction: It would seem that no one has taken up the Toreador newsletter, so rather than watching the clan being abandoned I'll write this one a full year after my latest. Two expansions have been released since; the Third Edition, focusing on the Sabbat, and Sword of Caine, a mini expansion focusing on the Black Hand. So, out of 218 new cards, plus a few promo only cards, there are not many which are better for clan Toreador than for other clans, if any. Still, with less than a month left until the upcoming European Championship I'll make my best to identify a few of them in an attempt to help my favourite clan shine. Cards of the month: Cardname: Frontal Assault Cardtype: Master Set: Third Cardtext: Master. Put this card in play. Each ready minion you control may enter combat with any minion controlled by your prey as a (D) action. You gain 1 pool each time a ready minion controlled by your prey is burned or sent to torpor. During your influence phase, burn this card and burn 1 pool for each ready minion controlled by your prey. A useful card for any weenie combat deck. It should therefore work well in a low cap celerity gun deck. Cardname: Grooming the Protégé Cardtype: Master Set: Third Cardtext: Master. Move up to 3 blood from a ready vampire you control to a younger vampire of the same clan in your uncontrolled region. A possible addition to a multi-master Toreador voting deck that would like to see more vampires hitting the table fast. I'm not entirely certain that this would be the way to go, but votes, protected by Toreador Grand Ball, and pushed with presence and pumped with Voter Captivation should theoretically make this one a viable option. Cardname: Inconnu Tutelage Cardtype: Event Set: Third Cardtext: Inconnu. A Methuselah may spend four transfers and remove a vampire in his or her uncontrolled region from the game to search for any card in his or her library and put it in his or her hand (discarding and shuffling afterward). Quite a few Toreador decks lend themselves to multiple copies of the same vampire. Why not get some candy for your doubles? Cardname: Perpetual Care Cardtype: Political Action Set: Third Cardtext: Successful referendum means each Methuselah burns 2 pool for each vampire in torpor he or she controls. I tried this one with a blocking voter, and with a rush deck, but I simply never got it to work well enough to be worth it. That doesn't mean it is useless. I have, after all, not been especially successful with my tournament gaming at all the last year or so. Maybe someone out there knows how to make this one a punishing vote card. Cardname: Glancing Blow Cardtype: Combat Set: Third Cardtext: Do not replace until your next untap phase. Prevent 1 damage from the opposing minion's strike. This is a nice little card that is quite useful in small amounts in a gun deck based on superior celerity. At long range two points of aggravated damage is pretty much what you hate most. Cardname: On the Qui Vive Cardtype: Reaction Set: Third Cardtext: Only usable by a tapped minion. This reacting minion can play reaction cards and attempt to block as though untapped until the current action is concluded. If this minion is an ally, he or she does not untap as normal during his or her next untap phase. A minion may play only one On the Qui Vive between his or her untap phases. If you play with more than one copy of wakes, then at least one should be a copy of this card. There's simply no way to go wrong with one copy. Cardname: Heart of Nizchetus Cardtype: Equipment Set: Third Cost: 1 pool Cardtext: Unique equipment. During your untap phase, if the bearer is ready, you may draw up to three cards from your library and then move the same number of cards from your hand to the bottom of your library. Every focussed deck should have one copy of this card. Cardname: Helicopter Cardtype: Equipment Set: Third Cost: 3 pool Cardtext: Vehicle. When a minion equips with the Helicopter, tap it. After resolving a successful action, this minion may tap the Helicopter to untap. A minion may have only one vehicle. Maybe more fun than fantastic. Paired with NRA Pack if your Toreador Grand Ball deck has some other equipment it wants in play I like the opportunity to get two unblockable actions with a clan that has difficulties generating multiple actions otherwise. Cardname: Sanguinary Wind Cardtype: Combat Set: SoC Discipline: Celerity Cardtext: [cel] Only usable before strikes are chosen. This vampire's strikes may not be dodged this round. [CEL] As above, but usable after strikes have been chosen. Well, it is celerity based, which makes it a card for the Toreador, but I really don't know. Maybe a few copies in a big gun deck where you know beforehand that all armed Toreador will have superior celerity. I don't have a deck of the month for the simple reason I haven't made anything especially new with clan Toreador since I had Anneke block everything with Reversals of Fortune, Dr Marisa Fletcher, Millicent Smith and Smiling Jack in play. For some reason that deck didn't get me any new friends. Until later. Have some great V:TES Sten Düring